In a world where instant gratification is encouraged [I even noticed Paypal has some sort of offer, buy goods on credit and pay a day later] it's a lot harder for most people to do without something they want but can't afford to buy immediately. I sometimes get tempted to dash out and go buy something when it runs but I've come to learn how to use up everything in my pantry before I go shopping. None of the food goes to waste. Do you guys do this?
I might do that to an extent. Sometimes, I'll use my last resources available and whip up something fast and easy. However, there are some things that just don't go together so I might end up leaving those or throwing them out and buying new stuff. As for buying something just because of an offer, despite me not needing it, I don't. Instant gratification is honestly a cause of a lot of problems, mainly with the younger generation, and as such, I try to find it as much as possible.
I'm pretty bad at cooking so I try to keep my grocery list very small and simple with grab-and-go items - lots of fresh fruits, some yogurt, some canned goods, bagels, etc. This way, I know I will use up everything before it expires. Keeping a detailed ongoing grocery list in a note app on my phone of what I ABSOLUTELY need instead of peeking in and surveying my pantry/fridge and throwing together a list of guesses all at once has been very helpful. I hate making multiple small shopping trips too so I wait until several things run out before I go restock. This patience also helps me save money and reassess if I really needed to restock the snack or not.
I do try to use up what I have before I buy more things, but sometimes this can be difficult. I'll sometimes pop into the store to buy things that I need but I try to make a point of only buying what I really need and not buying excess things. As for choosing to do without things I often choose to not buy things. I'd quite like a bar of chocolate right now but I don't need it therefore I won't go and buy it. I prefer to make the most of more filling foods and using the money on those sorts of foods than wasting it on snack foods.
I buy just what I need and nothing more for I can't afford to waste either. I like to have extra frying oil though and I do buy and stock at least one extra on my shelf. Aside of this I just buy what I need and like most don't waste food at all.
